SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Student tuition at the University of California could rise more than 30 percent next year if Gov. Jerry Brown’s budget plan doesn’t pan out, school administrators said Wednesday.

The governor earlier this year signed legislation reducing state support for UC by $500 million to roughly $2.5 billion for the coming fiscal year. Three years ago, the 10-campus system received more than $3 billion from the state, UC officials said.

Brown wants to close the state’s remaining $9.6 billion budget deficit by extending temporary increases in sales, vehicle and personal income taxes, but so far doesn’t have enough Republican support to approve his budget plan.

When Brown issued his revised budget proposal Monday, he warned that UC could lose another $500 million if the taxes aren’t extended and the budget shortfall is closed with cuts alone.

At the UC Board of Regents meeting in San Francisco on Wednesday, administrators said the university would likely have to raise in-state undergraduate tuition by 32 percent for the winter 2012 term to cope with a $1 billion budget cut. However, no specific tuition proposal is on the table.

Under that scenario, California residents would pay nearly $14,700 in annual tuition, which doesn’t include room, board and campus fees. UC tuition is already set to increase 8 percent to $11,124 this fall.

“The people of this state have to understand the grave consequences for this university if we have an all-cuts budget,” UC President Mark Yudof said.

Last week, California State University administrators said the 23-campus system would also have to raise tuition by 32 percent, as well as curtail student enrollment, if it lost $1 billion in state funding.

At Wednesday’s meeting, UC regents discussed possible strategies, including steep tuition hikes, to tackle a budget deficit that is projected to reach $2.5 billion within five years, driven in part by rising employee pay and retirement benefits.

Among the more controversial ideas is a proposal to allow campuses to charge different levels of tuition. Supporters say that could lead to increased revenue and allow student demand to play a larger role in setting tuition, but opponents say it would widen disparities in resources and prestige among UC schools.

In other UC business Wednesday, the Board of Regents elected Sherry Lansing as the new board chair for a one-year term starting July 1.

Lansing, a former high school teacher and CEO of Paramount Pictures who currently serves as the board’s vice chair, will succeed Russell Gould, whose term as chairman is expiring.

The regents also approved the appointment of Dorothy Leland as the third chancellor of UC Merced, the system’s youngest and smallest campus. The Southern California native has led Georgia College & State University in Milledgeville since 2004.

Leland will replace outgoing Chancellor Sung-Mo “Steve” Kang, who announced in September that he’s stepping down to return to teaching and research.

By Terrence Chea

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